Fri, April 16, 2010
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STOCKHOLM, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Flights will continue to be banned in most part of northern Europe, at least for the whole morning on Friday due to the drifting ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, according reports reaching here from Reykjavik.
"The ban applies to the UK where reports indicated that the ban might be in effect until at least 7 p.m. on Friday. The ban also applies partially or wholly to France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Ireland. The ash cloud remains thick and moves slowly to the east," the online Icelandic newspaper Iceland Review said.
It was reported that Sweden has partly opened the airport flight on Friday morning.
"It is likely that the production of ash will continue at a comparable level for some days or weeks. But whether it disrupts travel, that depends on the weather, and how the wind carries the ash," Einar Kjartansson, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, was quoted as saying by Iceland Review.
On Thursday, at least 5,000 flights across Europe have been canceled. But in Iceland domestic flights were allowed on most routes and Keflavik International Airport remains open, even though many flights are canceled due to the fact that airports on the other end are closed.
This is due to the fact that winds carry the ash towards Europe, the report said.
Since the flight ban continues, all travelers should follow local news to hear how it might apply to their area, the report added.
On another development, the massive flood in Markarfljot river in South Iceland caused by the volcanic eruption seems to have peaked 9 p.m. on Thursday. Two districts people were evacuated due to fear of the flood.
